Thursday, July 9, 2009

Goodbye, My Pioneer Brother


Jason left this morning for Trek, a 48 hour handcart pioneer re-enactment. When Jenna saw that he was leaving she ran into the kitchen to hug him, calling as she ran, "Goodbye, my pioneer brother!" So cute. (And yes, you're right--the picture is of Rachel and not Jenna.)

Four years ago when our ward & stake last had Trek I was much too busy worried about the logistics of Cindy Lynn + fibromyalgia + cystic fibrosis + Trek to do much thinking about the pioneer part of it.

This time as I have watched Jason get ready to go and have talked with adults friends who are running the Trek, I have been more mindful of this history that they are re-enacting.

I used not to have strong feelings about the pioneers. That changed forever when I read Gerald Lund's "Work & the Glory" books and later his book about the handcart pioneers, "Fire in the Covenant." Whatever you want to say about Lund and his writing, he humanized the Mormon pioneers for me. He helped me understand that regular people gave up everything they had to follow a prophet of God; their possessions, their homes, and in some cases, their families. As I read the stories I wondered if I would have been so strong or so brave.

When Jason and I drove to the church this morning I told him that I hoped that he had a good time. But what I hope most for him, much more than a good time, is that there is a moment where he really feels it. My prayer is that sometime in the next two days he will catch a glimpse of the incredible sacrifices made by his ancestors that make possible the life he lives today.

What a great reminder....

6 comments:

  1. My in-laws are serving a mission at Martin's Cove in WY. They always have interesting stories to tell about the pioneers and the people who come in to the Cove. Hope they have a fun and safe trek!

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  2. So I just asked Eric if he knew why Amy thought we were going on the trek. I said something like, "that's silly! We have a baby!" To which he replied, "Didn't the pioneers have babies when they crossed the plains?" Huh.

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  3. And then you have to explain to Eric that there are reasons that you were born now and not then...and *that* is one of them!

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  4. Our stake went to Martin's Cove for Trek last year, & it was an amazing experience for everyone who was able to attend. {Chaperones were called; no volunteering. =)} There are so many great lessons to learn from paralleling our lives with theirs.

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  5. The trek was really fantastic. Clark and I are absolutely EXHAUSTED! I just wanted to say how impressed I was with Jason. He always had a smile on his face and he worked and played so hard. He is just a really fantastic young man!

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  6. Megan--wow, Martin's Cove is a long drive for your stake! I'll bet that's quite the experience.

    Amy--Jason is a great kid. I wish I could take the responsibility for that, but to a great degree they seem to come the way they come...

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